Chapter 469
For a huge fleet with nearly 300 three-decker oars and 350 other warships, it would take a lot of time for the entire fleet to complete a tactical maneuver. But the well-trained Syracuse fleet had undoubtedly shortened this time.
Led by a dozen or so fast ships far ahead, the entire fleet sailed majestically towards the sea near Turií.
… …
The warship of the Diónia Division Commander, Midolades, was at the forefront of the fleet, acting as the navigator. This position required the captain to not only have rich experience in sailing and naval warfare, but also to be familiar with the fleet's tactics and signals, as well as understand the purpose of the expedition and the tactics to be adopted. As the vanguard, he also had to perform bravely in naval warfare to be a role model for the warships behind him.
Apart from the lack of naval warfare experience (most of the captains of the Dionysian fleet lacked naval warfare experience), Midolades performed well in other aspects. When Enanilus was sentenced to prison, the Devers had considered Midolades as the commander of the navy.
At this moment, the captain was sitting under the mast, resting with his eyes closed.
The lookout at the top of the mast suddenly shouted, "There's a sailboat ahead!"
Midolades immediately opened his eyes wide and looked up at the sea ahead. There was nothing but blue water and blue sky on the vast and boundless sea.
But Midolades knew that due to the blockade by the navy of Syracuse, there was not a single merchant ship to be seen in this bustling sea. So the ship that entered the lookout's field of vision was very likely to belong to Syracuse.
"The sailboat has turned south!" The lookout shouted again.
There's no need to hesitate anymore. It must be the enemy. They've discovered us and are going back to report! Midolades pondered for a moment before he decisively shouted, "Blow the horn and raise the warning flag!"
Soon, orange strips of linen were hung on the mast. The lookout on the flagship who had been closely watching the pilot ship immediately reported, "General, there's an enemy ahead!"
"That's great!" Cykerian excitedly punched his fists together. Without hesitation, he issued the long-awaited order, "Advance at a normal speed first! Raise the Stars Flag and prepare for battle! "
A long horn sounded, and a black flag was raised to the mast. It was extremely conspicuous under the clear sky.
Very soon, the flagship of the B Squadrons also hung black flags one after another.
The night sky was filled with stars!
This was a tactical formation specially invented by the Diónia Navy based on the characteristics of the "Crow Suspension Bridge". It required the warships of the fleet to be as scattered and scattered as the stars in the sky. In this way, the warships would attack and advance alternately like waves. Each warship had to bravely fight alone while the other warships continued to attack and provide protection. This was an orderly chaotic battle mode.
"Your Majesty, there are enemies ahead," Miltias reported to the Devers.
The Devers nodded and pretended to be calm. "Follow your orders. You don't have to report to me to avoid delaying the war."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Miltias saluted and shouted towards the gap in the deck. "Normal speed!"
The flute player's rhythm immediately sped up. The 188 oars on both sides of the warship slapped against the water. The helmsman at the stern turned the rudder, and the warship gradually distanced itself from the surrounding warships.
"Something's wrong!" An old man who was observing the movements of the fleet on the shore exclaimed. "Our fleet is changing formation!"
In the eyes of ordinary people, the densely packed warships on the sea did not seem to have changed. But to these old fishermen, they were keenly aware of the changes in the distance and speed of the warships.
"Has the enemy been discovered?!"
"Is war about to break out?!"
…
Everyone asked at once. Their voices were filled with concern for the safety of the Alliance and the safety of their loved ones.
… …
More than ten minutes later.
"Syracuse's fleet! Many, many warships!! "The lookout pointed ahead and shouted.
The Midolades were not surprised. They knew beforehand that this was a naval battle with fewer warships. The Diónia Navy was at a disadvantage in terms of warships.
"Raise the battle flag!"
A blood-red flag fluttered on the mast.
"General, the enemy has been discovered ahead. Alert for battle!"
"Enter battle mode!" Secorian's orders were concise.
"Woo woo woo! Woo woo woo! … "The urgent sound of the bugle spread from the flagship to the nearby warships, and then to the periphery.
The sailors of every warship began to move. Under the instructions of the boatswain, they began to swallow the field rations that were made of oatmeal bread, wine, and olive oil. At the same time, they took turns to stand up and stretch their limbs. In fact, it had only been an hour since they had boarded the ship. They were still very energetic, and all they did was to prepare for the long and intense battle that was about to happen.
In the sharp eyes of the Midolades, a wooden pole rose from the distant sea. Then, more and more appeared. Soon, the silhouette of a ship appeared, and then another … In the blink of an eye, the distant horizon was filled with warships.
"They're here …" Midolades whispered in his heart.
… …
At the same time, on the flagship of the Syracuse fleet, Leptineus received the answer he had been waiting for. "General, there's a ship in the middle of the enemy's fleet ahead. Its mast is flashing with golden light. It should be the warship with the statue of Pluto that you're looking for!" The lookout shouted from the main mast.
When Leptineus heard this, he shouted excitedly, "That captive is right, Devers! The Archon Devers of Diónia is on that ship! "
Leptineus knew very well that Dionysius had once said that in order to conquer Diónia, it was best to eliminate the Devers first. Hence, his brother had sent assassins to carry out assassinations, but to no avail. Now, a great opportunity was placed in front of him. If he could capture or kill the Devers in this naval battle, not only would his brother see him in a new light, he could also end this huge war that had almost exhausted all of Syracuse's resources!
"Order, all sub-fleets to adopt the double column tactic!" He ordered decisively.
"General, aren't we going to use the circumnavigation tactic?" The captain of the flagship beside him reminded him.
Leptineus shook his head. "Circumnavigation is too time-consuming, and it will also disperse the fleet's momentum. When the time comes, the Devers will be frightened out of their wits by the sight of their warships sinking one after another. It'll be troublesome if they turn around and run. We have more warships than them, and our ship handling skills are better than theirs. The Diónia Archon thinks that this naval battle will be as easy as a land battle, and he dares to attack us. I will crush them head-on, and utterly destroy the Dionysian fleet, and capture that arrogant Devers! " Leptineus said heroically. His outstretched right hand clenched into a fist, as if the person in his fist was the new King of Diónia.
… …
Midolades stared ahead. The Syracuse fleet had completely revealed itself, and was bearing down on them like a monstrous wave.
Midolades was not intimidated by the Syracuse fleet's imposing aura. Instead, he smiled. The Syracuse fleet did not utilize their advantage in numbers, and did not send their sub-fleets to encircle and attack their flanks. That way, the Dionysian fleet would have a harder time winning, and their losses would be greater. But it was clear that His Majesty's plan of using himself as bait was working! The enemy had adopted a frontal assault tactic!
At a glance, there were probably more than ten warships stacked on top of each other, and the enemy had the advantage of having a favorable wind (there was a weak northern wind). But so what?! Due to the 'Raven Suspension Bridge' and the additional number of heavy infantrymen assigned to the regular three-decker warships (a typical warship's infantrymen ranged from zero to ten per warship, while the Dionian fleet had one heavy infantryman per warship), the Dionian fleet was lacking in agility and speed. Now, the enemy did not employ circumnavigating tactics to the greatest extent, and the Dionian fleet did not rely on speed and agility to win, but close-quarters combat!
Midolades's confidence was boosted. He knew that even though the enemy's nearest warship was two miles away, once the warship picked up speed, the distance of a few miles would be covered in the blink of an eye.
"Attack speed!" After giving the order, he turned to Zantiparis, who was resting on the deck, and said with a straight face, "Captain, the battle is about to begin, please get ready!"
As the captain of the Second Brigade of the First Legion, Zantiparis's status as a senior officer was completely useless in this naval battle, because this was a battle between heavy infantry units. But he did not want to miss this important naval battle, so he chose to follow the First Brigade.
"Inigas, you should give the order," he said to the captain. He did not want to interfere with the command of his men.
"Brothers, gather up, pack up your equipment, and go down to the cabin. The warship is going to speed up!" At Inigas's order, the heavy infantry sitting on the deck immediately stood up, put on their helmets, picked up their spears, and hung their short swords. They quickly formed two columns and went down to the bottom of the cabin through the entrance between the two decks.
The oarsmen in the cabin did not pay any attention to the soldiers rushing in. They were focused on the speed of the flute as they moved the oars.
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